"How are you feeling?" Devon asked.
Luther pulled the icepack away from his neck to look up at him. "Like an idiot. Never saw that one coming."
"No one did," Julian muttered.
"Cassie?" Luther inquired.
"Sleeping," Devon told him.
"How is she doing?"
Devon didn't have an answer for that question.
"It was crazy in there," Chris murmured.
Devon recalled what he'd experienced while feeding from Cassie. The vivid details of what had happened to her and what they'd gone through. He couldn't deny the fact that he had no idea what Cassie had become, or what she would become. She'd killed a human now. She had a thirst for that blood, a taste of what the pleasure of the kill could bring.
"It was," Devon agreed.
Chris's gaze darted over the others gathered within the room. "No Devon, it was more than just the place itself. Cassie..." Chris's voice trailed off as the words were choked from him in the end. "Even drugged and impaired she was terrifying, and she was unbelievably deadly. More so than anyone I've ever seen." His eyes flickered briefly toward Luther. "Ever."
"Chris..."
"The Elder's will come after the children," Chris continued as he stepped away from the window. "But they won't be able to stop Cassie."
Devon's non-beating heart hit the floor, Julian's mouth dropped. Luther inhaled sharply as his hands clenched before him. "Christopher," Luther admonished.
Chris shook his head. "You didn't see her in there Luther, none of you did. She thought she was weak, nearly beaten, and she couldn't even see herself. I saw her. I was the one that was there to see the strength and power that she radiated, and it is far more than any of us had originally thought. Don't forget that she believes Devon's death is what will set off Matthew's vision. Do you doubt for even an instant that she wouldn't level this building, this entire town, to keep that from happening? Do you really doubt she has the ability to do so?"
Chris looked at all of them before focusing on Luther again. "Because she does," he answered when no one else did.
There was a knot of stone in Devon's stomach; his legs weren't able to support him as he slumped onto the couch beside Luther. "Chris..."
Chris tugged at his hair as he turned back to the window. "I know that she can be outnumbered and beaten, but it will take quite a force for that. I know Cassie is still with us though, even after what happened today. She lost it in that room, but when Anne attacked again it was Melissa she was most concerned about. I have more faith in her than she has in herself right now, but we all have to be aware of the fact that she can level us if she is pushed to the brink of her endurance."
Devon could hear the frantic pace of their heartbeats in the chillingly silent room. "We'll get out of here as soon as possible," Devon said. "We'll take the children and we'll leave tonight. The Elders have lost Matthew; it will be difficult for them to track us without him."
"What are we going to do with seventeen children?" Julian asked.
"Keep them safe," Luther answered.
"There were only ten children from Cedarville, where did the other seven come from and what are they?" Chris inquired.
"From what I can gather they are orphans of Guardians that have died since The Slaughter. There are no Hunters amongst them," Julian answered. "The only three Hunters in the group came from Cedarville; one of them is that boy that seems so attached to Cassie."
"They all need our protection though," Devon said as he rose to his feet. "And we're going to need more vehicles."
"There's a van in the garage," Chris supplied.
"One that can't be traced to three missing adults and seventeen missing children would be preferable," Julian replied dryly.
"It will be good enough to get us out of here tonight," Devon told him. "We'll find another vehicle as soon as we can. It's best if we get as far from here as quickly as possible though. We'll head further north into the lesser populated areas."
"Colder areas," Julian muttered as he scowled at the window.
"We'll find a Caribbean Island for you next year. I'm sure you'll enjoy all the daylight hours," Devon retorted.
Julian glowered at him but refrained from saying anything more. "I think Melissa will be ok to move tonight," Luther said.
"Good, the sooner we're out of here the better off we'll be." Devon rose to his feet and stretched his cramped muscles. He knew The Elders would have to be dealt with eventually but he hoped to put the battle off until Cassie was a lot more stable, and he was certain of what she was capable of.
He turned and left the room, he was at the stairs when Julian caught up with him. "Devon, the Elders won't underestimate her again."
"I know that," he grated through clenched teeth.
"If she's ever to be safe this has to end."
Devon took his foot off the bottom step and nudged Julian toward a small side room full of toys. He closed the parlor doors before turning to his friend. "We have to get her somewhere safe until she's stable enough to control whatever is inside of her. Until we can keep her away from the killing."
"There is no keeping her away from the killing Devon. There never has been. She's been a killer for the past four years."
"She wasn't killing humans then Julian."
"The humans she killed today weren't decent human beings and they deserved what they got. If either of us had been in that house we would have done the same thing," Julian replied fiercely. "Have you stopped to think that perhaps the reason she is so confused is because we are so confused around her. We're the ones that can't accept what she is now; we're the ones that keep trying to make her something she's not. We were going to kill the vampire in the woods anyway. She just used her teeth instead of her fists. If she was still human the fact that she killed him wouldn't have made any difference. She lost control, we've all lost control, but she's only killed those that are a threat to her, and to us.
"You need... we need to realize that she is not the human girl we fell in love with. She's one of us now, and whereas we would rip someone's throat out for her, she is willing to do the same for us."
Devon wanted to tell Julian that he was wrong, but he couldn't. He'd seen inside of Cassie, he'd seen what had happened in this house. She'd done what had come naturally to her and though it was terrifying she was still alive because of it, as were Chris and Luther.
"I'm not saying that we shouldn't fear her. I'm not saying that there isn't a chance she'll destroy us all, but I am saying that she hasn't done anything that either of us wouldn't do. She hasn't killed an innocent. We might end up being the ones that push her over the edge if we're not careful Devon. We have to stop fighting what she has become and start accepting it ourselves. It may be the only thing that saves her."
Devon was speechless in the face of Julian's words. "When did you become so insightful?" he finally managed to get out.
Julian's gaze drifted to the parlor doors. "When I realized that I am not the most important being in this world."
There was a strange twisting working its way through Devon's stomach as knowledge bloomed like a black rose inside of him. "You understand her better than I do."
Julian frowned as his eyes slid back to Devon. "You understand her just fine; you're simply waiting for the girl that she was before to come back. But that's just it Devon, that girl died and that is what you are having such a hard time coming to terms with."
"She was brutally murdered by my brother," Devon grated through clenched teeth.
"You both desired the change to occur."
"Not that way Julian, she never should have died like that."
Julian nodded as he folded his arms over his chest. "You're right; it shouldn't have been like that."
"Robert will pay for it. I'll have his deadened heart in my hand by the time this is all said and done."
Julian's lips quirked into a twisted smile as his eyes fairly sparkled. "You say things like that, and yet it's her we're all fearful of.
She's done nothing premeditated."
Devon paced a few feet away, his gaze focused on the woods as he thought over Julian's words. "Matthew's vision..."
"I believe she's right Devon. I think it has more to do with you, and perhaps even the rest of us, than with anything inside of her. We all saw what you were able to do when you thought that she was dead, what do you think she would be capable of doing with all of her abilities?"
"Absolute power..."
"But it's not absolute. She has many weaknesses still. You, me, her friends, these children, the sun can all bring her down. She's not indestructible Devon. We don't know what she would do if one of her loved ones was brutalized and destroyed, but I do believe that you could bring her back from those deaths if they occur," Julian continued. "I don't think we can bring her back from yours."
Devon moved away from the window and back toward the center of the room. "You've become a wise man Julian."
Julian's canines flashed as he laughed harshly. "I've been called many things in my extensive life, but wise has never been one of them."
Despite their awful situation Devon felt himself smiling at Julian's words. "I believe it."
"You have to accept her Devon, she's unstable now, frightened, and you're the only one that can ease that fear. You're the only that can reach her."
Devon stared at the ceiling above his head. Julian was right. He had to accept the fact that Cassie had died and what had risen in her place was a much more powerful version that still loved him with everything she was. She had never been frightened of him even at his most volatile and ruthless. Her faith in him had never wavered and he owed her that same respect and dedication.
"Why didn't you say this sooner?" he asked.
"I may be wise but I'm not the brightest. It's taken me awhile to come to understand exactly what is going on with her, and what she is. I'm not as close to this as you are so eventually I was able to take a step back and see that though she has killed, she's not what Matthew envisioned, at least not yet. I love her, but the two of you are so entwined that it's almost impossible for you to see past her fright because it's yours too."
"We're not ready to face The Elders though," Devon said.
"Maybe not right now, but we're going to have to make a stand soon. We can't have this hanging over our heads much longer. It's going to make us all crazy, never mind what it's going to do to the endless solar panel upstairs." Julian pointed above him with one hand as he made the crazy gesture with his index finger beside his right temple.
Devon shook his head as he rolled his eyes at him. "Is that what you're going to call her from now on?" Devon didn't think Cassie would exactly appreciate that one either.
"Well she is absorbing powers like one, but I think I prefer Buttercup."
"I think I'd prefer solar panel," Devon muttered.
"You would."
A small sound outside the door caught his attention. He sensed Cassie even before he slid the parlor door open. She was standing on the bottom step, her golden hair a tumbled mess around her shoulders and her eyes still swollen with sleep. At her side was the small boy that had been with her in the kitchen. He was sucking his thumb as he held her hand and studied Devon from eyes that seemed far older than his apparent three or four years.
No one had escaped from that town unscathed. Though Julian said the children hadn't been tortured, they had been born in that town, raised within it, and there was no way to know what had been done to them. How different they may all be on a cellular level.
The child unnerved him but he seemed fond of Cassie and she seemed content to have him beside her as she smiled beautifully at Devon. "What are you two discussing?" she inquired.
"We were planning on leaving tonight and going further north," Devon informed her.
Cassie nodded as her gaze drifted toward the front door. "How will we get the children out of here?"
"There's a van in the garage we'll use until we can find another vehicle."
Cassie knelt at the child's side. "Are you ok with that Gabriel?"
He popped his thumb out of his mouth as he nodded. "None of us like it here."
"Gabriel?" Julian inquired.
"It's his name," she informed him. "Though I prefer Barnacle."
"I suppose both are acceptable, Solar."
Cassie's eyebrows shot into her hairline as she frowned at him. "Solar?"
"Yeah I don't like that either, even if you do prefer it," Julian informed Devon as he slipped past him. "I was just trying a new nickname, but don't worry you're still Buttercup to me."
Julian's laughter trailed down the hall as Devon and Cassie scowled after him. "How are you feeling?" Devon inquired.
"Better."
"Your wounds?"
Cassie knelt at Gabriel's side again. "Luther's in that room over there, why don't you see if he can find you something to eat." Gabriel nodded as he climbed awkwardly down the last step and headed down the hall to where the others were gathered. Cassie waited to make sure he was out of earshot before she turned back to him. "They're healed. The blood may have been drugged but it helped me too."
"You did the right thing Cassie." She remained unblinking with her hand upon the newel. "I would have done the same thing."
"But I'm different than you and any other vampire."
"You're not. Well you are, but you're not. You're more in control of yourself than you realize, than even I realized. Don't fear what's inside of you Cassie. It will become your greatest ally, it will save us all."
"But..."
"No." He took a step closer and rested his hand on top of hers. "No buts Cassie. You'll get through this, we both will, together." Tears shimmered in her eyes; he wiped away the one that slid down her face. "I'm not afraid of it Cassie and you shouldn't be either."
"You're not," she whispered. "You're really not."
He smiled as he rested his forehead against hers and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "No, I'm not."
Her mouth quirked at the corners as her nose briefly touched against his. "You told Julian he was wise!?"
He winced at the reminder and kissed the tip of her nose. "Let's not ever mention that again."
She laughed as he took hold of her hand and led her toward the kitchen. Chris and Luther had cleaned Meredith's blood from the floor but Devon detected the enticing scent of it over top of the stringent chemicals. He realized that Cassie had been covered in Melissa's blood, saturated in some of the most potent blood on the planet and she had turned away from it.
He was an idiot. His hand tightened around hers as he hoped to convey this realization into her, hoped to give her strength and confidence. She turned toward him and grinned as she cocked an eyebrow mischievously. She held her thumb and index finger centimeters apart as she mouthed the words, 'Just a little."
She turned away as Gabriel tottered toward her with a donut in his hand. He lifted powder coated fingers to her and opened and closed his right hand. Her smile was radiant as she bent down and scooped the child into her arms. Barnacle was a good name, Devon decided as Gabriel wrapped one chubby arm around her neck. He continued to munch on his donut as he watched all of them.
"Nice dinner," Cassie commented dryly.
"I've never been known for my culinary expertise," Luther responded. "But I managed to keep Melissa alive."
"That's because all she eats is rabbit food," Chris muttered around the chocolate donut he was chomping on.
Devon wiped the trail of powder smeared across Cassie's cheek away. Barnacle watched him as he took another bite out of the donut. "The other children are scared of us," Cassie told him. "But I think they'll come around. Joey and Dani are talking with them now."
"Is that the best idea?" Julian demanded.
"I think they're the only ones that the children can relate to. They grew up in that town with them, neither of them trusted us at first, and they both put their misguided faith in The Commission. I still don't completely trust Joey but I don't sense any ill
intent in him and I think he's doing his best to help us now."
"They have no choice but to come with us," Julian grated. "We can leave the Guardian children behind if we must, but we cannot leave The Hunter children behind with The Elders hunting them."
"We're not leaving anyone behind," Luther said.
"They'll come around," Cassie insisted as she shifted the child on her hip. "Barnacle trusts us."
"You." They all looked to the child as he grasped hold of Cassie's cheeks with his chubby hands. "I trust you."
Cassie became as still as stone as the child's gaze burned into hers. Devon had never seen anything like it, and he caught Julian's astonished look from the corner of his eye. Chris froze in the act of biting into his donut.
"Thank you," Cassie whispered.
Two tiny white handprints marked her cheeks when he released her. He held a hand out to Luther and opened and closed his fingers again. Luther hopped into action and offered another powdered donut to the tot. Luther studied the child, his eyes narrowed and his mouth pursed as he tilted his head from one side to the other.
"He is surprisingly trusting of you," Luther murmured.
"He's the child from my dream. He believes I'm an angel," Cassie explained.
Chunks of chocolate donut sprayed from Chris's mouth as he released a snort of laughter. "You most certainly weren't one of those even before you became one of the living dead."
Cassie scowled at him, but Luther's question distracted her. "This is the child that you dreamed of in the woods?"
"Yes."
Luther folded his hands behind his back as he began to rock on his heels. "I'd assumed that the child in the dream was merely a phantom to enhance your premonition, the fact that he's real changes things."
"Changes things how?" Devon inquired sharply.
"Well there's obviously some kind of connection between them. I think that you are probably related."
Cassie's mouth dropped, Barnacle continued to chomp happily on his donut. "How is that possible?" Cassie demanded.
"It doesn't have to be a close relation. I'm not saying your brother or sister, or even first cousins, but your grandmother had siblings and so did your other grandparents. He's more than likely a distant cousin and because of that genetic connection you were able to draw him in. Perhaps he was even able to reach out to you. His ability may be something similar to premonitions, or even Devon's abilities."